Chapter 6

God’s Creation

Sections

1. General
   1. God Made All Things
      • God has made all things
      • God made the earth . . .
      • . . . God made the heavens as well as the earth
      • Along with making the earth and the heavens, God made everything in them
      • God made light, alongside the darkness
      • God made the sky
      • God made land and sea – partitioning the land off from the sea
      • God made vegetation
      • God made the sun, moon and stars
      • God made all creatures and people
      • Note: All that God makes is good
   2. God Maintains Creation
      • Every creature’s life is dependent on God
      • God provides food for all creatures
      • God sends rain on the earth, making it productive
      • God’s provision of rain and food is abundant . . .
      • . . . God’s provision satisfies his creation
      • God regulates all aspects of the weather
      • God controls the cycle of day and night
      • God controls the seasons
      • God regulates and maintains the other aspects of nature
      • Note: God made the earth and all creation to last
   3. How God Made and Maintains Creation
      • God made all things with his wisdom
      • God made all things with his power
      • God made and maintains all things by his word or command
      • God made and sustains all things through Jesus Christ
      • The Holy Spirit played a role in creation – and still does
   4. Implications of God Being Creator
      • God is the Father of all things, notably of all people
      • God is sovereign over all things
      • All things belong to God
      • All things exist for God
      • Creation attests to God’s greatness and glory
      • Creation attests to God’s power
      • Creation and God’s control over it show his power and wisdom to be incomparable . . .
      • . . . God made this point very clear to Job

2. God’s Creation of People
   1. Life and Death
      • God creates people . . .
      • . . . Children ultimately come from God
      • God creates the various aspects of people’s beings
      • God gives people life and breath
      • Human life is of great value
      • People’s lives are very brief
      • Each person is destined to die . . .
      • . . . All people die no matter who or what they are
      • Once a person dies, they do not return
      • Note: Blood signifies life – and a person’s life is taken by the shedding of their blood
   2. The Human Spirit
      • God has made people with a spirit
      • The spirit is distinguished from one’s body
      • The spirit and the soul are closely associated – along with one’s “heart”
      • The spirit and soul are at the core of one’s being . . .
      • . . . They embody and are central to one’s state of mind – as often depicted in hardship
      • The spirit and soul are linked with one’s emotions
      • The spirit and soul are linked with one’s desires
      • The spirit is involved in one’s thinking
      • The spirit is fundamental to one’s attitude and actions
      • People are dead without their spirit
      • People’s spirits and souls exist after death
   3. The Uniqueness of People
      • God has made people in his own image
      • People have an able mind, with which to think and reason intelligently . . .
      • . . . People can make judgments
      • People have the moral capacity to know good from evil and right from wrong . . .
      • . . . People can choose between good and evil
      • People are of much more value than other creatures
      • God has made people ruler over all other creatures
      • People are to care for other creatures
      • People are to act responsibly towards all creation
   4. Epilogue: God’s Self-Revelation to People
      • People cannot in themselves perceive or know God
      • God reveals himself to people
      • God reveals himself by what he does
      • God’s creation of the world and heavens perpetually evidence and reveal God to all people . . .
      • . . . God’s ongoing control over nature likewise testifies to him
      • God is revealed in his acts of judgment and of salvation
      • God is revealed and known through Jesus Christ
      • Note: God reveals his plans and will

 ➜Major headings in: 6. God’s Creation (and all of Unit B)

Pray for persecuted Christians